If you want to help out the content creator, and especially to help spread the article around on the platform, it makes sense to clap (and not just 2 or 5 measly claps, but close to the full amount since it only takes a couple of seconds). That's what the younger audience apparently understands better than the older crowd that's not as adept at using social media. Commenting and engaging are fine, too, of course. Clapping should be more like an afterthought, but unfortunately it's one that has an impact on the ranking algorithm, so it matters.

My main point in the article is just that one of the reasons why these platforms are full of mediocre contents is that intellectuals likely don't clap as often as low-brow, normie crowds.